Q. :confused: Difference in actions
- Thread starter Bwana
- Start date
David Scott
New member
Jambo, Bwana!
Let's take the simplest first:
Double action only: There is no safety or decocking lever. The safety is provided by the longer, heavier trigger pull, just like a DA revolver. After firing, the pistol does not stay cocked. You have to go through the long pull again to fire another.
Pros: simple, no need top remember to push levers. Fewer doohickeys to go wrong (though a mechanical failure in a Ruger is rarer than an uneaten donut in a police station). Cons: Tired trigger finger, and it's harder to make precision shots with a DAO.
Decock only: It has a lever on the slide. The first shot is a long, heavy trigger pull, and when the slide cycles, the hammer stays back for the next shot. This gives a light, short trigger pull for subsequent shots. The lever is not a true "safety", it just lowers the hammer without firing the gun ,so you're back in the same starting long-hard trigger pull mode. The lever is spring loaded, and after decocking returns to the starting position.
Pros: After first shot, it's easier to make accurate, rapid follow ups. Cons: Have to get used to two trigger pulls, and if you forget to decock before holstering you can blow half your butt off.
Manual safety: The lever is a true safety, blocking the firing mechanism. It must be moved from Safe to Fire before you shoot. Otherwise, it works like the decocker version.
Pros: If you want to carry Condition One, cocked and locked, you can have the same light pull for all shots. Also, if you can switch it on before a bad guy disarms you, it may take him long enough to figure out the safety that you can disable him with your backup gun, folding knife or a good swift kick to the gonads. Cons: Most complex manual of arms. In stress situations if you're in Condition One, you may press the lever too far and decock. If you forget to decock or put it back on safe, you can still shoot yourself in the butt while holstering.
Which you choose is a matter of personal preference, and that's cool so long as you take the trouble to learn your manual of arms. I like the decocker (I own a P95) but for a newbie defensive shooter or someone who's not going to practice much I would suggest the DAO.
Let's take the simplest first:
Double action only: There is no safety or decocking lever. The safety is provided by the longer, heavier trigger pull, just like a DA revolver. After firing, the pistol does not stay cocked. You have to go through the long pull again to fire another.
Pros: simple, no need top remember to push levers. Fewer doohickeys to go wrong (though a mechanical failure in a Ruger is rarer than an uneaten donut in a police station). Cons: Tired trigger finger, and it's harder to make precision shots with a DAO.
Decock only: It has a lever on the slide. The first shot is a long, heavy trigger pull, and when the slide cycles, the hammer stays back for the next shot. This gives a light, short trigger pull for subsequent shots. The lever is not a true "safety", it just lowers the hammer without firing the gun ,so you're back in the same starting long-hard trigger pull mode. The lever is spring loaded, and after decocking returns to the starting position.
Pros: After first shot, it's easier to make accurate, rapid follow ups. Cons: Have to get used to two trigger pulls, and if you forget to decock before holstering you can blow half your butt off.
Manual safety: The lever is a true safety, blocking the firing mechanism. It must be moved from Safe to Fire before you shoot. Otherwise, it works like the decocker version.
Pros: If you want to carry Condition One, cocked and locked, you can have the same light pull for all shots. Also, if you can switch it on before a bad guy disarms you, it may take him long enough to figure out the safety that you can disable him with your backup gun, folding knife or a good swift kick to the gonads. Cons: Most complex manual of arms. In stress situations if you're in Condition One, you may press the lever too far and decock. If you forget to decock or put it back on safe, you can still shoot yourself in the butt while holstering.
Which you choose is a matter of personal preference, and that's cool so long as you take the trouble to learn your manual of arms. I like the decocker (I own a P95) but for a newbie defensive shooter or someone who's not going to practice much I would suggest the DAO.
VictorLouis
New member
DAO: The gun can only be fired with a long heavy pull for each and every shot. The hammer cannot be cocked at all. Some would assert a safety advantage in that you cannot as easily pull the trigger unintentionally when in fear. A training advantage is that there is only one trigger pull to practice and master. It tends to be harder to master the heavier pull, and is slower in pure speed of repeat fire.
DE-COCK: This gun has a DA pull for the first shot, after which the recoil of the slide cocks the hammer back for the successive rounds. Thus, the trigger pull is both lighter, and shorter for those rounds. After firing, the hammer can be safely de-cocked by use of the slide mounted lever. The theory is that you have the long heavy pull on the first shot for safety, but that you have the speed and accuracy of cocked(single action) fire for the rest of the rounds as you fight. The disadvantage is the two trigger strokes to practice, with the transition from the DA to the SA being the hardest part.
SAFETY: The spring-loaded decocking lever has the spring removed. The lever can then be left in the down position, acting as a safety by preventing the trigger from firing. OR, you can push it back up to the firing position, just as the decocker version does for you automatically. Other than that, it operates DA/SA like the decocker equipped version.
With due respect to David, the Ruger pistol cannot be carried with the hammer back(cocked)and the safety on(locked). There are other styles of pistols that can, but you will have a DA pull, at least for the first shot, on all Ruger service caliber pistols. I tend to favor the DAO, followed by the decocking version, if you are a new shooter. Best.
DE-COCK: This gun has a DA pull for the first shot, after which the recoil of the slide cocks the hammer back for the successive rounds. Thus, the trigger pull is both lighter, and shorter for those rounds. After firing, the hammer can be safely de-cocked by use of the slide mounted lever. The theory is that you have the long heavy pull on the first shot for safety, but that you have the speed and accuracy of cocked(single action) fire for the rest of the rounds as you fight. The disadvantage is the two trigger strokes to practice, with the transition from the DA to the SA being the hardest part.
SAFETY: The spring-loaded decocking lever has the spring removed. The lever can then be left in the down position, acting as a safety by preventing the trigger from firing. OR, you can push it back up to the firing position, just as the decocker version does for you automatically. Other than that, it operates DA/SA like the decocker equipped version.
With due respect to David, the Ruger pistol cannot be carried with the hammer back(cocked)and the safety on(locked). There are other styles of pistols that can, but you will have a DA pull, at least for the first shot, on all Ruger service caliber pistols. I tend to favor the DAO, followed by the decocking version, if you are a new shooter. Best.
I concur with Victor on the "cocked and locked". Ruger's are NOT designed to be carried in this manner. First shot is going to be double-action (unless you manually cock the hammer), regardless of which pistol you buy. The only real question is do you want all the follow-up shots to also be double-action, or do you want to shift to the lighter single-action for the rest?
That's part of the reason I own Glocks. Same trigger pull each and every time.
That's part of the reason I own Glocks. Same trigger pull each and every time.
David Scott
New member
I stand corrected. I don't own the Ruger with the manual safety. There are other brands that do work as I've described -- CZs, for instance.